City comparison
Palm Bay, FL vs Santa Maria, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Santa Maria, CA are 8.8% higher than in Palm Bay, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Palm Bay, FL would need about $108,800 in Santa Maria, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,746 a month in Santa Maria, CA versus $1,478 in Palm Bay, FL. On $100,000, that's 44% of take-home pay in Santa Maria, CA and 22% in Palm Bay, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Santa Maria, CA than in Palm Bay, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +15.7% moving from Palm Bay, FL to Santa Maria, CA ($107,228 → $124,085), while prices change by +8.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.4% in real buying power.
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
- Santa Maria, CA: price level 108.8 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Palm Bay, FL | Santa Maria, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.0 | 108.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,793 in Santa Maria | $91,918 in Palm Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,478/mo | $2,746/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 44% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,030 | $51,690 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA. Metro areas: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Palm Bay | Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.7 | 151.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 88.1 | 149.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.0 | 108.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Palm Bay, FL → Santa Maria, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.1%; rent takes 44% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
14 Weak offer
Santa Maria, CA → Palm Bay, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
96 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Palm Bay, FL is in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL pay area; Santa Maria, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Palm Bay, FL to Santa Maria, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Palm Bay, FL | Santa Maria, CA | Real change, Palm Bay → Santa Maria |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,181 | $71,957 | +6.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,233 | $87,061 | +6.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,173 | $104,349 | +6.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,228 | $124,085 | +6.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,711 | $146,632 | +6.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Palm Bay, FL | Santa Maria, CA | Santa Maria pay in Palm Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,510 | $101,030 | $92,865 (+48.6%) |
| Software Developers | $131,760 | $158,290 | $145,497 (+10.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,860 | $91,610 | $84,206 (+11.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,900 | $137,360 | $126,259 (+56.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.